SARS-CoV-2 infection induces sustained humoral immune responses in convalescent patients following symptomatic COVID-19

Jun Wu, Boyun Liang, Cunrong Chen, Hua Wang, Yaohui Fang, Shu Shen, Xiaoli Yang, Baoju Wang, Liangkai Chen, Qi Chen, Yang Wu, Jia Liu, Xuecheng Yang, Wei Li, Bin Zhu, Wenqing Zhou, Huan Wang, Sumeng Li, Sihong Lu, Di Liu, Huadong Li, Adalbert Krawczyk, Mengji Lu, Dongliang Yang, Fei Deng (), Ulf Dittmer (), Mirko Trilling () and Xin Zheng ()
Additional contact information
Jun Wu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Boyun Liang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Cunrong Chen: Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
Hua Wang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Yaohui Fang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shu Shen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaoli Yang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Baoju Wang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Liangkai Chen: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Qi Chen: Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Yang Wu: Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Jia Liu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Xuecheng Yang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wei Li: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Bin Zhu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wenqing Zhou: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Huan Wang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Sumeng Li: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Sihong Lu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Di Liu: University of Chicago
Huadong Li: Jin Yin-tan Hospital
Adalbert Krawczyk: University of Duisburg-Essen
Mengji Lu: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Dongliang Yang: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Fei Deng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ulf Dittmer: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Mirko Trilling: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Xin Zheng: Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Long-term antibody responses and neutralizing activities in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection are not yet clear. Here we quantify immunoglobulin M (IgM) and G (IgG) antibodies recognizing the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) or the nucleocapsid (N) protein, and neutralizing antibodies during a period of 6 months from COVID-19 disease onset in 349 symptomatic COVID-19 patients who were among the first be infected world-wide. The positivity rate and magnitude of IgM-S and IgG-N responses increase rapidly. High levels of IgM-S/N and IgG-S/N at 2-3 weeks after disease onset are associated with virus control and IgG-S titers correlate closely with the capacity to neutralize SARS-CoV-2. Although specific IgM-S/N become undetectable 12 weeks after disease onset in most patients, IgG-S/N titers have an intermediate contraction phase, but stabilize at relatively high levels over the 6 month observation period. At late time points, the positivity rates for binding and neutralizing SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies are still >70%. These data indicate sustained humoral immunity in recovered patients who had symptomatic COVID-19, suggesting prolonged immunity.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22034-1

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